In the Furls of Smoke
by HeliosTactician
Summary: Now eighteen, Earl Phantomhive struggles in vain to keep a tight reign on his Underworld while hiding numerous deadly secrets. In his infirm rule, he becomes increasingly susceptible to sweet temptations that may hold even more secrets than Ciel himself, the most prominent being Earl Trancy.


I was no stranger to his type.

Hungry.

Sadistic.

Broken beyond the point of repair.

Yes, I was no stranger to his type at all. He was one of the few, however, who had been destroyed at such a young age. I almost wanted to pity him for it, but of course, he _was_ older than me. How would he react to a child like me experiencing such pathetic feelings for a creature like him? He would hate it, no doubt, and I simply could not afford to make one more enemy just now.

I hadn't even met him when these thoughts began to stir in my mind. But, naturally, they haunted me every step of my life from then on. And they continued even after I met him, learned what a horrible little demon he had become, and saw just how clouded his vision truly was. And people criticized _me_ for being lost in the smog of my own opium! Here was a child that was worse than I, though it is hard to beat an eighteen year old earl, addicted to the drug of dreams and ruler of London's underworld. Still, though, he was quite the pitiful little beast.

Even then, especially then, I would not allow myself to feel such a worthless, _human_ emotion for a rodent I had no desire of coming into contact with any more than absolutely necessary. I hardly needed to work with him; I was king, and supremely so. If I so desired assistance, I would most likely be in touch with my supplier to see when I could begin to rebuild my personal stash, or perhaps with my one associate at the Yard for classified information about a particular case. There was no need to consort with this Trancy fellow. Not with all the friends I already had!

The butler knocked, and I interrupted my ever-important musings to address him. "Well? Have we anything new?"

"Yes, my lord," came the typical silver-tongued reply. I could hear his footfalls as he entered the room, but it did not entice me to give him any added attention. "Just one. An invitation from the Earl Trancy."

"Bloody hell." As this was the boy-no-man who so frequently occupied my thoughts, it almost seemed to be a cruel joke from fate to throw such an unexpected twist into what I thought would be just another day of solving murders for the Queen. Just as I had begun to push Alois Trancy back into the corner of my mind, here he was, surfacing once more. Yes, I had just been so occupied with thoughts of him, but this was a typical occurrence. My mind often wandered to its furthest corners when I was musing. In truth, I had not given the Trancy brat any actual thought in a very long time.

"You do not even know to what the invitation summons you," the butler said smoothly, daring to approach my desk with the letter on its silver tray.

"It is a ball," I conjectured, still refusing Sebastian additional regards. "Or a more formal dinner."

"He claims he wishes to discuss the affairs of your two houses." The envelope was carefully torn open, paper rustling softly as the butler's deft hands retrieved the letter from within. He had simply assumed the letter's true contents, I realized, but per usual, he was correct. "Ah. The Earl has a proposal he wishes to present to you. It is urgent. They expect us at the manor tonight."

"Tonight? You do realize that is incredibly soon. And I am… overdue."

The butler, faithful, bowed and began towards the door. "Shall I bring you-"

"Not now. Tonight is when I shall desire it. Oh, and do be sure Elizabeth will not be bothering me within the next few days. There is much work to be done before I will be fit for another of her… visits."

"Excellent, young master. And what of this Earl Trancy's request?"

"I have no desire to speak with Earl Trancy." It should have been clear the first rejection. No matter how passionately my thoughts returned to him, there was no cause for me to have any sort of contact with him this night. Why would the hound wish to associate with the arachnid? "Sebastian, do be sure to explain to Trancy exactly why I will not be seeing him."

"Shouldn't you write your own letters when denying the company of a fellow earl?"

Damnation, he had a point. Not that proper comportment ever mattered when dealing with the Trancy scum, but I did have a reputation to keep clean and free of opium ash. "Then bring me my good stationary. Or would you rather I travel to the Trancy manor and tell Alois myself that I do not wish to speak with him?"

"My master is certainly feeling a bit under the weather today." Sebastian found humor in this statement and exited the room swiftly, knowing very well I had all my stationary there at my desk. It was pointless to try and argue with a butler who refused to be irritated by even the most childish of things, and sometimes this irritated me especially so.

I reached for the drawer of my desk which contained my ink, but the hand that I watched take hold of the drawer's gilded handle was shaking.

Damn.

This was not something I could afford to have now.

The resurgences of addiction did not strike me often. Usually I managed to contain myself to a few doses a week, perhaps going entire fortnights between, even, but every once and a while this would come up. My not-so-youthful body could not seem to survive without the sweet dreams brought to me by one of the very substances I kept a tight reign on. Self-loathing was uncommon for me, but every epidemic of withdrawal had its moments of pure hell and misery.

Well, now would be as good a time as ever to begin the indulgences.

I considered summoning Sebastian to reschedule tonight's business, but today I had become so preoccupied with Alois Trancy that perhaps I would be able to last a bit longer without my precious drug.

Just the thought of skipping something so vital to my daily functioning just to be lost in misty dreams of a rival earl made me want to be sick, but I had to admit to myself that it was working wonders. The shaking became unnoticeable as soon as the name Trancy crested the top of my thoughts, drowning desires in its all-consuming wake.

"Sebastian!" I shouted without a thought. "Begin preparations for our trip to the Trancy manor. I wish to be punctual."

"Yes, my lord," I heard the distant reply. I truly did have the butler wrapped around my finger. Of course, indulgences of his own certainly helped to seal his loyalty.

Perhaps a few hours passed when realization finally crashed into me the way the sea crashes into the hull of the ship. I had just confirmed my meeting with Alois. And why the hell was he _Alois_, and not Earl Trancy? Oh, what a misstep I had made! Perhaps it had been Sebastian's manipulation all along; after all, part of his service to me was to act in my best interest, and this meeting should certainly not be skipped just for some petty whim. He had entirely arranged this. Offering me my addictive indulgence early, knowing full well I would deny but then be unable to stop the thoughts from curling tantalizingly around my head. It would drive me back into thoughts of Alois, and naturally, I would then wish to distract myself further, and what better way to drive off thoughts of Earl Trancy than by visiting him?

Once I was dressed for travel, I gave a parting instruction to the servants to expect us back before the night was over. I would have my fill of Alois by then, I was sure of it. And besides, I would require sweet dreams in order to deliver me to morning. This said, I climbed into the carriage, driven dutifully by the butler, and let my thoughts roam once more to Alois Trancy as the ride slowly dragged on. More than once I found myself in a state of almost giddiness at the thought of being able to see the Trancy brat. It was always wonderful to see someone with damage that stretched so much further than my own, and I had to admit, I never much minded the suggestive vibe that surrounded Trancy, or the subtly erotic style of his attire, or even his whims and sudden tantrums. All of him was a mystery to me, and it is a constant duty of mine to solve mysteries.

Hours must have passed, for when I next bothered to check the skies, they were already painted bloody red with the coming of dusk. The carriage had just traversed the length of the Trancy grounds, and I could distinctly see two figures awaiting our carriage just before the manor itself. The taller of the two did not strike my interest; Claude Faustus was not a man I had any particular thoughts of, and I really did not care to think too hard about him. He loathed Sebastian, which amused me, but not enough to force me into curiosity. No, my eyes rested immediately upon the slight male, teasingly messy blonde locks brushing against the pale flesh of his face, and two chips of Arctic ice for eyes. Ah, the Earl Trancy, at last.

It had been a good many years since our last encounter.

Certainly I had grown up a bit as well.

Aside from the hinted maturity to his deceptively innocent face and build, he was just as I remembered him. In appearance, that is. That toxic shade of purple that was his signature, the ever childishly short pants and the seductively tall boots. It was a bit of a relief to know that Alois had not changed so drastically over the years. Communication with him would be simple, and I would not have any need to employ hastily created tactics against him. It would be as simple as breathing.

There was, however, one thing that troubled me. He had no smile, and the usual essence of sensuality that was his constant companion seemed to be played down or lacking entirely. I was not prepared to deal with an Alois that could not be tempted by the promise of a quick bedroom excursion, not that I would dream of one in the first place. To assure myself of my own excitement, I reminded myself that close to five years was more than enough time to teach even the lowest of high society better decorum. And, after all, I was certainly growing into the silhouette of Vincent Phantomhive, whereas five years ago it was barely accepted that I was even the earl's true son. Appearances had no meaning in this situation.

Suddenly I was thrown out of fantasies, and the butler stood by the open door, awaiting me. Surely he had just now gotten there, as there was no way I would be able to daydream for so long after the carriage had come to a halt. I saw Alois's eyes boring into me, that erogenous gaze running across my body. What could he possibly be looking for? So what I had finally grown, taller at long last and definitely a bit more on the boyish side now. I wasn't ogling at _him_, certainly not this way. Doing my best to keep my eye where it belonged-blankly staring at his face-I exited my carriage. Sebastian announced me, but really, who else would be visiting the Earl Trancy?

"It has been _far_ too long, Ciel Phantomhive," the surprisingly mature tone of Alois's voice hit my ears, and I almost showed a bit of shock. The Trancy brat almost sounded like a respectable adult! "I would assume you wish to eat, after such a journey. I shall have Claude prepare-"

"That will not be necessary, as I do not plan to stay late," I interrupted, growing cross with the very thought of having to waste my precious time at this institution of an estate. "Well, Trancy, are you going to give me this proposal? I do not have much time to waste here."

The brat's polar eyes flashed, a sudden flare of his former seductive nature. "Ah, in such a hurry, Ciel. Walk with me."

Erotic.

It was the only way to describe the gait of Earl Trancy as I followed him around the manor and to the garden. The cloying aroma of millions of roses assaulted my nostrils, a sickeningly sweet contrast to the invader I was so used to sensing in my lungs. Oh, how it pained me.

"Well, Trancy, what do you-" I began, but was cut off sharply by him clearing his throat.

"It's _Alois_," he corrected. "Come now, Ciel, we are acquainted well enough to be on a first-name basis. Call me Alois."

The moan I released was in no way subtle; I wanted the boy to know how frustrated I was with this entire endeavor. "Your letter claimed you have a proposal. Though I really cannot imagine either of us have anything to offer one another, I am more than willing to listen to any sort of proposition."

Either he had not heard me, or he was just acting like the spoiled little git that I remembered. "Ciel, I know you are not fond of red roses, but would you humor me and wear one?"

"I cannot wear a rose in this," I argued. It was true-my travel coat was not usually suitable for any sort of embellishments, but I did not truly think Alois would listen.

"Hold it, then," he instructed me, his bratty nature coming forth as he shoved the disgusting plant towards me. To appease him, and only for that reason, I took his rose.

"Can we please discuss your proposal now." I turned the rose over in my hand. What a stupid color, that of blood and fire, and just perfect for Alois. I almost wanted to loathe him on the color of his roses alone, but ungrounded hatred infuriated me more than the Earl Trancy.

"Have some wine with me," the ignorant earl declared, as if my statement hadn't even been uttered. "I don't know the vintage. Claude picked it for me. He already set it out in the center of the garden. Come, a little wine will do you good."

"I hardly think now is the time to be drinking." Out of frustration I nearly threw the rose aside, but when working with Alois, I had to be tactful and not stir his wrath. "I have come to discuss business with you."

Those blonde locks swirled gloriously as the Trancy boy whipped around to pout at me. "Ciel, you're all work and no play. Humor me and have a drink, and then I'll tell you my proposal."

When playing a dangerously seductive game with Alois, the only thing to do was to play as long as possible before I ended up in the bedroom. I would have to pull out before then, but until that point, I would be giving this everything I had. "All right, Earl Trancy, lead me to this wine. I haven't had a good drink with an associate in quite some time."

"Really? Oh, Ciel." His sparkling eyes and newfound excitement drew an amused smile from me. I followed him, forcing a lighter mood with the hope that it would aid in my desire to draw an actual reply from Alois. He led me with his familiar springing step, which I much preferred to the suggestive walk from earlier, and when we found ourselves surrounded by walls of the thorny flowers, I finally saw the wine. Just one bottle, two crystal goblets, resting on a wiry table and accompanied by a pair of matching chairs. I wanted to be sick. If Alois was so persistent in seducing me, he must want something immensely important. My moves would have to be carefully planned from here on.

I took a seat in one of the chairs, setting the rose down beside a glass. It was clear the Trancy brat was not accustomed to pouring wine for others, not that I was one to talk, but it infuriated me that he seemed confused as to why the wine wasn't already in our glasses. Just after a few moments of waiting for the glasses to fill themselves, Alois shouted in his familiar overindulged voice for Claude. The Trancy butler came swiftly, followed by Sebastian, who no doubt had some plan to prove himself best at the job.

"Sebastian." I stood and held out my arms slightly. "Take this coat away from me. I don't want keep wearing it."

He abided wordlessly, with that pleased little grin of his, and took the coat from my shoulders. The pleasant evening air was refreshing on my exposed flesh, but the relief did not last long. I noticed quickly that while Claude was opening the wine bottle, Alois was staring intently at me. Perverts will be perverts, but the least he could do would be to hide his disturbing desires. I was there _solely_ for business, nothing more.

Alois shooed Claude away suddenly. "That will be all, Claude. I can pour the wine myself."

"Yes, your highness," Claude muttered faintly, before returning to the manor itself. Sebastian followed after my dismissive wave.

With his hands on the table, Alois leaned forward just a bit. "So, my business proposal…"

Of course I could see he was just trying to play me into his little trap, where he would be able to exploit me however he wanted and gain just about anything. I would not fall for it. "Oh, yes. May I have some wine?"

If he was going to play me by ignoring my statements, I would do the same. I could play games just as good as the little Trancy beast.

"Of course." I realized then that he had not taken his seat, still leaning over the table as if to beguile me into steering towards his conversation. But I knew how to play the game as well, and I would not lose so quickly to Earl Trancy, who had just poured me the most pitiful amount of wine. "There, Ciel. A toast, to the future friendship of our houses."

"More," I commanded lightly, taking my glass carefully between a thumb and finger.

"More," Alois replied promptly, giving me a sarcastically polite grin. He was going to put on his show of decorum for me, so I would play along as best I could. When he poured my wine, I offered a slim excuse for a smile and nodded in gratitude. "Now, a toast."

He filled his own glass equivalently to mine, and raised it. I did the same, carefully tapping his before downing nearly half the sweet red nectar. It would be excellent for me to nullify the addictive cravings with a little alcohol, if only to aid my concentration in beating Alois at his game.

"I have formed several connections in the underworld," Trancy announced suddenly, seating himself at last and appearing quite smug. I was almost certain, though, that whatever connections he might have made were already in service to me. "I want to become an informant for you. If your contacts are unable to give you information, I will."

I laughed, perhaps a bit too disdainfully, but he was almost adorable in the way he attempted to impress me with this bolster to his personal importance. "I do appreciate your offer, Trancy, really, but I highly doubt you have connections that I do not."

"You doubt me." He pouted, curling his bottom lip slightly, seductively, and, I assumed, just to convince me of his point. "I was a sex slave, you know. I know a good deal about _that_ side of the underworld. More than you."

"Mm, I suppose that is true." I had to concede, if ever so slightly, in order to show Alois that I was a reasonable person. "But I have many connections already. I would appreciate your services if it ever comes to affairs of sex slaves, though."

He repeated, "You doubt me. I can be of use to you."

"Alright, then. I'll consider your offer." I finished off the last of my wine and held out the glass for more, compelling myself to keep the smile and the light attitude; I was getting far better results with it than I had being my usual bitter self. "But first, what are you asking in return?"

"Not much," he admitted, but I could never trust Alois when it came to that, especially not with the selfish glint to his glacial eyes and the provocative undertone to his otherwise honeyed words. "I would require that you meet with me in person when you require my information. And every so often, a visit. You might say a dalliance, even. Just something small, like what we're doing now."

Of course.

Dalliance.

It was one step away from full-blown infidelity on my part. Poor Elizabeth.

"I would hardly call this a 'dalliance'," I argued absentmindedly, shaking my glass a little to ask for more wine. "But I will certainly come discuss information with you in person. I don't, however, feel that I am getting much from this deal."

"How silly of me." Alois filled my glass once more and took another sip of his own wine. Subconsciously I found my eye wavering from blankly staring at the table to take a quick peek at his face. The deep red of the liquid he had just ingested had dyed his lips a succulent shade, and I almost found myself hooked on that little detail. God forbid my own lips appear so tempting! Trancy cleared his throat suddenly, as if to pull me out of my daze, and continued, "There is more to my end of the bargain, of course. I'll tell you about it a bit later."

"Why not now?" I complained, feeling my careful façade beginning to crumble. "I cannot stay the night. I have other business to attend to tonight."

"Well, I'm not sure you are taking me seriously." Alois swirled the maroon contents of his glass nonchalantly, staring first at the little whirlpool in his goblet and then at my eyes, his gaze inhibited by golden lashes that matched his messy bangs. "Once I'm certain we will actually come to an agreement, I will tell you the rest of the services I can offer."

"Let's say I took you up on that proposal, and then the rest of your 'services' are completely useless to me?" It was becoming more and more irritating to talk to the Trancy brat, and I was certain the telltale shaking would return soon if I did not return home to attend to my private matters. I drank a long draught of the vermillion ambrosia and sighed. "Can you see how I might worry?"

"Of course, Ciel, but why would I offer services that would not entice you?" He laughed then, something I had not thought possible. Of course I had heard his sadistic, spoiled, almost devious cackle before, but this, this was entirely sincere! The years really had made something out of him. "Why don't we move this little talk indoors before the sun sets? It is getting rather dark."

"I do not mind the dark."

"Of course, you are a man of the underworld." Alois regarded me under his magnificent lashes once more. "More wine?"

I held my goblet out, frightened when I saw the quivering shimmer of the polished glass. I could not afford this terrible symptom of withdrawal; it preluded the irritability that would infuriate Alois. I needed his attitude towards me to be as positive as possible if I was going to leave with an excellent arrangement. "Please. Now, care to tell me another service you can provide?"

Alois poured me a hearty glass this time, and I almost considered the fact that he was purposefully using alcohol to subdue my mind and more easily obtain absolute control. Well, the foolish boy had no idea how strong the Phantomhive body could be!

"I suppose I can divulge _one _service," the brat conceded after refreshing his own drink. "You are aware of my abundance of servants, and I am aware of your... pathetic excuse for a staff. I would be more than willing to assist you in, mm, upgrading the quality of your servants."

"You speak of replacement," I predicted. As if I would dream of employing one of his servants! The loyalty of the enigmatic triplets was constantly in question; as for the maid, I preferred my servants more modest in every aspect she was not. Claude the butler would not be required, thanks to Sebastian's services, nor would I want his service anyhow. In every action he infused disinterest, half-hearted effort, and the general effect of plotting disobedience. Honestly, it was a wonder Claude hadn't already sparked a mutiny. Alois, the ungrateful brat, should be thanking his lucky stars rather than speaking to me so casually about the imcompetance of my own servants.

"Replacement? Ciel, where would I possibly acquire an entirely new staff for you?" He tantalized me with a sip of wine, and I forced myself to ignore the clear attempt to force my irritable mind into accepting his proposal. "If you must know, I would have Claude and Hannah instruct them in proper servant etiquette."

"Believe me, Sebastian has tried to do just that for years." A sigh escaped my lips, the first flag of what was sure to be a terrible epidemic of withdrawal. "Surely you must have something better to offer?"

"Of course, Ciel, but why would I tell you if I was not certain of your compliance?" Glass clinked softly as he set his glass on the table and reapproached his rose bushes. "I am not asking much from you. Just a visit now and then, nothing more."

Somewhere between his latest proposal and my latest refusal, my own goblet had made its way back to the table, still swelled with vermillion nectar, about to burst from the carefully crafted glass. I reached for it and downed perhaps half its contents, then replaced it on the table. "Our little visits are quite taxing, I'll have you know. I am very busy."

"All work and no play," he repeated in a hushed voice, as if murmuring to his precious plants. "Surely, Ciel, your dark empire can wait one evening for you?"

Words were slow to form in my head, each hand selected tactic cloaked by the fuzziness of alcohol and the shaking of withdrawal. I attempted to appease the latter with the former, but as my fingers brushed against the glass, a terrifying tremor pounded its way through my bones. Then the glass lay bleeding in a pool of spilled wine and stardust. I could only stare, eye wide and fixed on my trembling hands. Alois, nearly unphased, turned back to me, gliding across the pavement with footfalls echoing like drops of water. "Oh, Ciel, you are unwell. Come with me, I will have Claude build us a fire to stop your pathetic quivering."

"I am not c-cold," I spat through the ridiculous tremors.

His hands rested on my shoulders, leverage so that he could bring his lips close to my ear. With that toxic, otherworldly voice of his, he breathed, "Of course you aren't."

I shivered then, not just the shaking that resulted from my addiction but from the chills he sent down my spine. My muscles tightened, readying me for a rapid response to his next advance, and when he gently pulled upward I followed without protest. Shock, a painfully familiar old symptom, was setting in rapidly, and Alois could see it clear as day.

Up the stone steps we went, both deliberately slow and yet with a sense of purpose and absolute emergency. I was almost surprised that Alois had not summoned Claude, and that I myself seemed incapable of raising my voice even to command Alois to unhand me. Soon we would be in his bedroom, I was certain, but the joke would be on him when he found me as responsive as a corpse.

Dreams.

Sweet dreams, curling smoke.

Smoke.

He had brought me to a plush sofa in front of a roaring fire, and I was still trembling. Pathetic, how long this body of mine could last. A blanket was strung across my shoulders like a cloak, and I was staring at the shadows of flames on the ceiling. I felt the warmth before me, the snapping of the hungry orange creature as it devoured the wood. My shoes were being pulled off gently, first untied with care, and in my state of delirium I did not care whose hands were snaking up my calves to tug at my laces. It was most likely the butler, though he was not one to take advantage of my vulnerability in such a manner. Besides, the slender fingers, the static shock of flesh on flesh, the incredible softness of the skin, it was not the lifeless silk of the butler's gloves.

Dreams.

Slowly, gently, I lowered my head, eye rolling down even slower so that a good few heartbeats separated when I should have seen the crouched figure and when I actually saw him. His eyes were, for the moment, hidden beneath that tumble of gilded locks, and those smooth fingers dipped under my unlaced boot. Alois pulled the thing off, and set it beside its match, palms rubbing up my calves.

"Ciel," he breathed, tilting his head up so that slivers of his polar eyes glistened between strands of spun gold, "you are unwell. What is the matter?"

"Dreams."

"Dreams? Is it a dream that troubles you?" Hands continually sliding, past my knees and further up, tucking under my pants for a moment, and then he was nearly in my lap. Perfect chips of ice scrutinized my face, lips just a breath's distance away. I was not sure if I felt anything at all, aside from the prickling sensation across my flesh from having another being at this distance. "What do you see in your dreams, Ciel? What can I do to replace it?"

A tremor took me, my body seizing almost as if to cradle him closer. "The dreams, Trancy. The dreams."

"What about the dreams, Ciel?"

"End them."

There were no conscious thoughts in my head. No rhyme nor reason as to why those words would dare cross my lips, except the tragically desirable tautness of my every muscle. He grinned, a silly little emotion on that sadistic, hungry face of his, and his mouth parted. Without a moment of hesitation, he dragged his dripping, flexible tongue over my jawline.

Then came his hands. While he continued to caress my skin with lips and tongue, his fingers had crawled up to the waistband of my trousers. The curious little devils unfastened a button as if prying open an ancient chest, and my tension was simultaneously relieved and intensified. He brought a hand up, slid it across his trail of wetness, and held my face, still trying to meet my eyes as if he believed it was me who could not focus on his face. That remaining hand slithered down between my legs, pressed tight against my newly exposed crotch, and held fast to my cock.

Lightning jolted through my veins. I had experienced something similar in the past, all too frequently, but it had been forced, weak, and I could not have Alois know that this was the first time I had enjoyed a dream so much. Tickling my flesh with his naughty hand, the bastard brought his lips closer to my ear and uttered, "You have been dreaming about this far too long."

I was lost then, lost to dreams and lost in an incalculably vast, obscurely saturated curl of glittering fog.

Author's note: Everything here is done on purpose, right down to the choppy style. I hope it didn't irritate you too much. More to come soon, especially some of those other "services" Alois has to offer...


End file.
